1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to an implant for directing blood flow directly between a chamber of the heart and a coronary vasculature. More particularly, this invention pertains to such an implant with an enhanced design for securing placement of the implant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/882,397 filed Jun. 25, 1997, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Performing Coronary Bypass Surgery", and filed in the name of inventors Mark B. Knudson and William L. Giese, teaches an implant for defining a blood flow conduit directly from a chamber of the heart to a lumen of a coronary vasculature. An embodiment disclosed in the aforementioned application teaches an L-shaped implant in the form of a rigid conduit having one leg sized to be received within a lumen of a coronary artery and a second leg sized to pass through the myocardium and extend into the left ventricle of the heart. As disclosed in the above-referenced application, the conduit is rigid and remains open for blood flow to pass through the conduit during both systole and diastole. The conduit penetrates into the left ventricle in order to prevent tissue growth and occlusions over an opening of the conduit.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved transmyocardial implant with enhanced fixation structure.